Bollan: First Lions win on the road was well deserved

LIVINGSTON boss Gary Bollan was delighted to see his team finally pick up three points on the road against Queen of the South, and end the run of draws to move up to third place in the First Division.

In horrendous conditions at Palmerston Park, Livi took an early lead through Marc McNulty and then saw the points safe thanks to Mark Fotheringham’s second-half goal, and, sandwiched in between the two efforts, Andy McNeil kept out a Kevin Smith penalty for the Lions.

Bollan said: “It was about time we managed to get a result like this away from home. It was thoroughly deserved but it was played in atrocious conditions.

“We had the advantage of the wind in the first half but Queens defended well.

“In the end it took a fine penalty kick save from our keeper to keep us ahead before we got a second to make sure of the three points.”

The game started in driving rain and strong wind, but McNulty wasted little time in giving the visitors the lead. He skipped past two Queens defenders before drilling the ball low into the net via Lee Robinson’s right-hand post.

The Lions nearly made it two when Bobby Barr broke away down the right, but his snapshot was dragged across the six-yard box and out for a goal kick.

That was the end of the brief first-half action, but Livi were comfortable in holding Gus MacPherson’s side at arms length, and built upon their dominance in the second period.

Barr twice found space out wide, and on both occasions sent low drilled crosses into the box, where Kenny Deuchar and then Keaghan Jacobs couldn’t quite connect to double the lead.

McNulty then saw his shot brilliantly saved by Robinson, before Bobby Barr felled Kevin Smith at the other end to gift Queens the chance to equalise. Smith himself took the penalty, but McNeil saved with his legs.

Within minutes, Livi found themselves two ahead. McNulty and Keaghan Jacobs combined to allow the former to square for Deuchar. That ball was pushed away in a goalmouth stramash, but Fotheringham blasted home from seven yards to get his first goal for the club.

A McLaughlin angled effort brilliantly tipped away by McNeil threatened to pull Queens back into the game, but Livi saw the match out on top, with McNulty unlucky to see his fierce shot from the edge of the box whistle wide.